SPPC 4 Jan 2026

UPSA ORDER FOR WORSHIP ON THE LORD'S DAY WITHOUT HOLY COMMUNION

The Bible is carried into the church.

Call to Worship

A Scripture text calling to worship, such as one of the following, is said.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Phm.3

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Jn.1:14

The hour is coming, and now is,

when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth;

for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

God is Spirit,

and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. Jn.4:23f.

Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus

were baptized into His death?

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Rom.6:3f.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

Let us worship God.

Hymn of Praise - Praise to the Lord

♫ A Praise to the Lord, the Almighty from my hard drive

Prayer of Praise

O Lord Almighty, King of Creation,

We lift our voices and hearts in adoration, for You are worthy of all praise.

You are our strength and shield, our refuge and song.

You sustain us with Your goodness, and Your mercies are new every morning.

Praise to You, Lord, who reigns over all things.

You breathe life into us and guide our steps.

You heal our wounds, restore our joy, and surround us with Your love.

You protect us beneath Your wings, and Your faithfulness never fails.

Praise to You, Lord, who prospers our work and blesses our days.

You provide abundantly, even beyond what we ask or imagine.

You turn our trials into testimonies, our burdens into blessings.

You invite us to join the chorus of creation, singing Your glory forever.

Praise to You, Lord, who is our eternal hope.

Let every breath we take be filled with thanksgiving.

Let our lives resound with worship,

Until that day when all creation bows before You in endless praise.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The following or another prayer of the day appropriate to the season may be used:

God of light and truth, you are beyond our grasp or conceiving.

Before the brightness of your presence the angels veil their faces.

With lowly reverence and adoring love we acclaim your glory

and sing your praise,

for you have shown us your truth and love in Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Amen.

Or

Lord God, you have appointed in heaven

orders and hosts of angels and archangels for the service of your glory.

Grant that with our entrance into this church

there may be an entrance of holy angels serving with us to glorify your goodness.

For to you is due all glory, honour and worship:

to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for ever.

Amen.

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments or else the two Great Commandments (Matt.22:35-37) may be read.

Alternatively they may be read after the sermon in place of the Creed.

God spoke these words and said: I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods but me. You shall not make for yourself any idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. Honour your father and your mother so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour. You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or slaves, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

Lord, have mercy upon us, and write all these your laws in our hearts.

Call to Confession

The minister says one of the following:

‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord,

‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ Isa.1:18

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before. Ac.3:19f.

Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you,

Unless one is born of water and of the Spirit,

he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’ Jn.3:5

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,

Jesus, the Son of God,

let us hold fast our confession.

For we do not have a high priest

who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,

but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace,

that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb.4:14-16

If we say that we have no sin,

we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins,

He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins

and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 Jn.1:8f.

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin.

And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father,

Jesus Christ the righteous.

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins,

and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 1 Jn.2:1f.

Prayer of Confession

The minister says:

Let us confess our sin to God.

Comforter, Spirit of Truth, you who are everywhere and fill all things,

the treasury of blessings and giver of life.

Come and abide within us,

cleanse us from all impurity and save our souls.

Or

Holy Trinity, have mercy on us.

Father, cleanse us from our sins.

Lord, pardon our iniquities.

Holy Spirit, visit and heal our sicknesses for your Name's sake.

Lord have mercy.

Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your steadfast love;

according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin!

For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,

and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins,

and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from your presence,

and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and uphold me with a willing spirit. Psalm 51:1-19

Pause.

The minister then says the following sentence and one of the texts that follow:

Hear the word of God’s forgiving grace:

And the Lordpassed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Ex.4:6

When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic,

‘Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.’ Matt.9:2

When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman,

He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours?

Has no one condemned you?’

She said, ‘No one, Lord.’

And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you;

go and sin no more.’ Jn.8:10f.

Therefore, having been justified by faith,

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand,

and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Rom.5:1f.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,

who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus

has made me free from the law of sin and death. Rom.8:1f.

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,

He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies

through His Spirit who dwells in you. Rom.8:11

Who is he who condemns?

It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen,

who is even at the right hand of God,

who also makes intercession for us. Rom.8:34

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;

old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Cor.5:17

The minister then says:

To all those who truly acknowledge that they are sinners, humble themselves before God, and look to Jesus Christ for their salvation, I declare the forgiveness of their sins, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. John Calvin

Know that you are forgiven and be at peace.

Amen.

Hymn - ♫ At Your Feet We Fall - in my pc’s hard driove

Prayer for Illumination

Prepare our hearts, O Lord, to hear your Word.

Quieten in us any voice but your own,

and grant that by the power of your Spirit

we may hear and believe your gospel

and learn to obey your will;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Scripture Readings

One of the following may be said.

Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Matt.4:4

Heaven and earth shall pass away,

but my words shall not pass away. Matt.24:35

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life,

which is in the paradise of God.’ Rev.2:7

Lessons are read from the Old Testament, an Epistle and a Gospel

Cathy

Psalm Psalm 84:1-9 The Old Testament Jeremiah 31:7-14

Lidia

The Epistle Ephesians 1:3–19

The Gospel Matthew 2:13-23

Hymn

♫God Answers Prayer in the Morning on my hard drive

Sermon Title: The Spiritual Prayer Retreats of Jesus

Text: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35 NIV).

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:35–39 “35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” 38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.”

Our Lord not only had the habit of regularly attending public worship (Luke 4:16), but he went apart repeatedly to talk with and receive help from the Father. It is interesting to note the circumstances that provided the occasion for our Lord’s going apart for a private worship experience.

I. Jesus was strongly led by the Spirit to go away into a desert place at the beginning of his earthly ministry (Mark 1:12–13 “12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.” ).

Sometimes we fail to recognize that the Holy Spirit of God strongly led our Lord into a desolate place as he sought the direction and methods for his redemptive ministry. The forty days in the wilderness were a period of intense communion with God. Our Lord talked to his Father, and we can be sure that the Father talked to his Son. Even the angels ministered to him during this time.

II. Jesus retreated to a place of prayer when the responsibilities of life weighed heavily upon him (Mark 1:35 “35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” ).

Jesus found it necessary to go apart to be with God that he might receive strength and guidance and help as he faced both the opportunities and the duties that befell him. If Jesus needed a prayer retreat in the face of his responsibilities, it follows that we also need to go apart for communion with God.

Sunday Morning, January 7

III. When great choices needed to be made, our Lord made them after serious reflection and communion with the Father God (Mark 3:13–14 “13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach” ).

Our lives would be more harmonious with the will of God and we would experience far greater joy in living if we made our life decisions matters of earnest prayer rather than just making snap decisions along the way.

IV. Our Lord experienced a retreat when he was weary and needed rest (Mark 6:30–31 “30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”” ).

A pastor was encouraging his people to be zealous in their efforts for God. He reminded them that the Devil never takes a vacation. However, Jesus and the apostles found it necessary at times to go apart into a private place that they might rest and that the vital energies of life might be restored. If they needed this, surely we also need it from time to time.

V. Our Lord went apart to a private place for prayer when he experienced misunderstanding (Mark 6:45–46 “45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.” ).

At times even the apostles greatly misunderstood the motives and methods of their Messiah. Following our Lord’s multiplication of the loaves and fishes, these apostles were encouraging the crowd to marshal a movement to crown Jesus as their king. Our Lord broke up this demonstration and compelled the apostles to get into a boat so that he might send them away. After they were gone, he needed an experience with God and went apart for prayer.

Being misunderstood is the lot of every person, and it can be very painful. Jesus resorted to prayer when he was misunderstood, and that is what we should do.

VI. Jesus and the apostles needed time to be alone with one another (Mark 7:24 “24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret.” ).

Our Lord was an activist and was almost compulsive about ministering to the needs of people. Though he came to minister and his heart was moved by people’s needs, there were times when he needed to be alone with his helpers. If Jesus needed this kind of fellowship, it follows that we are bound to need it too.

VII. Jesus retreated to a private place when he needed encouragement (Mark 9:2 “2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.” ).

About six months before his crucifixion, Jesus took three of his disciples with him to the top of a mountain for a time of prayer. On the mountaintop, Jesus experienced the presence of Moses and Elijah. They discussed with him that which was to take place by means of his death on the cross and his resurrection from the tomb (cf. Matt. 17:1–8; Luke 9:28–36 “28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.) 34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.” ). In addition to meeting with these Old Testament characters, our Lord heard the voice of the Father expressing his divine approval.

If Jesus needed to be encouraged, all of us need to be encouraged. We can find that encouragement if we take time out to go apart and be alone with God.

VIII. Jesus went apart into a private place for prayer when he desperately needed strength for the impossible task he faced (Mark 14:32–42 “32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” 35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. 41 Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”” ).

Our Lord went apart into a private place for prayer as he faced his crucifixion, and he prayed repeatedly. At that time he also needed the encouragement and strength of the prayers of his three chosen apostles who were there but who fell asleep.

Conclusion

If we are too busy to draw into a private place to commune with God and let him speak to our minds and hearts, we are entirely too busy.

We all need to arrange our schedules to let God have the place that belongs to him in our lives.

We should spend a time of solitude with God each day, praying and reading his Word.

We all can find time and space for private worship if we set our hearts on it.

Not to do so is to impoverish ourselves, to miss the blessings of God the Father.

Bruce make the conclusion points salide in from the right as I deal with them please

Intimations by the session clerk Mr. John Oberholzer

The Offering

Offertory Prayer: Father God, you have given us this day in which to live, worship, and serve. We come bringing tithes and offerings to express our love for you and our desire that the world might come to know the good news about Jesus. Bless these gifts to that end we pray. Amen.

Hymn ♫ Psalm 5 Give Ear To My Words (Maranatha Singers) from mmy hard drive

Notices by John Oberholzer the session clerk

Collection

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Benediction

Now Unto him